[sustran] Bangkok buses for disabled

[Craig Townsend]

The Bangkok Post, 14 Sept. 1999

Special buses fail to attract the disabled: Halt to further costly vehicle
modification

Supoj Wancharoen

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority's special buses have failed to attract
wheel-chair users after a month in operation, according to the city bus
agency.

Not many disabled people have shown interest in the buses currently serving
only the Sanam Luang-Thammasat University's Rangsit Campus route.

However, BMTA director Yanyong Kurowat said the project would not be
scrapped with due regard for the constitution.

The agency would halt adding such buses, each costing additional 470,000
baht for modification, said the director.

"According to our survey, sometimes there were no passengers at all," he said.

Lt Col Torpong Kunkhanchit, access officer of the National Physically
Disabled of Thailand, said the disabled are not using the buses because
they do not go to where they want.

He said the disabled had tried in vain to get the BMTA to serve the Phra
Pradang-Nonthaburi route for the benefit of a large number of them.

He said the bus agency thought the disabled wanted the Sanam Luang-Rangsit
route simply because it passes the Government Lottery Office.

According to Lt-Col Torpong, the city bus agency claimed it was unable to
provide the service because the route had been granted to a private operator.

He believed the agency's ineffective campaign could have made such buses
unpopular, adding it could be out of service eventually.

"Most disabled people know nothing of such service. It's a pity if the
service would be scrapped because of this," he said.

Meanwhile, the BMTA plans to switch two buses to Phra Pradaeng-Rangsit
route next month, in a bid to serve the real need.

Mr Yangyong also urged concerned parties to provide basic facilities to the
disabled.

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Craig Townsend
Institute for Science & Technology Policy
Murdoch University
South Street, Murdoch
Perth, Western Australia 6150

tel: (61 8) 9360 6293
fax: (61 8) 9360 6421
email: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au
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